Aero safety device.



A. D. AUSTIN. AERO SAFETY DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1919.

A v/b yfl z A TTORNE YS ANDREW DOUGLAS AUSTIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

AERO sarErY DEVICE. L

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed January is, 1919. Serial no. 270,784.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW Douoms Ausrm, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aero'Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class ofaero safety devices in which aparachute member is so fitted to an aerial vehicle that when not in useit is compactly stowed, but is ready for instant release and functionwhen,

, tial sustaining after fully describe by reference to the vehicle losesits selfsustaining power, thereby serving as a parmeans to arrest thefalling veipcity of the vehicle and make its descent sa e.-

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, and easily operatedsafety device of this type and particularly one which is most efiectivein bearing the weight stress when called into functional operation; and

for any reason,

to this end my invention consists in the novel parachute attachment foraeroplanesand other aerial vehicles which I shall hereinthe accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing my safety devicereleased for functional operation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the safety device stored,when not in use.

1 indicates the fuselage of an aerial vehicle of which 2 are the planes.T have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the vehicle type.

Fitted in the fuselage 1- is a housing 3, which in its preferred form isa container provided with lugs 4 near its base by which it is secured inplace by means of bolts 5.

Within the container 3 is freely fitted for linear movement a diaphragm6, which for the sake of strength and rigidity is best made of twoplates secured together by bolts 7, the top plate having ribs 8.

A spring 9 within the container underlies the diaphragm, said springbeing normally compressed by the diaphragm, but which by expansionserves to throw the diaphragm up.

The top edge of the container 3 is provided with an inwardly projectingflange 10 which serves to limit the upward throw of the diaphragm and toform a shoulder or in any further detail, as it may be of any.

abutment therefor to carry .the weight as Wlll presently be seen.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

The container 3 is fitted with a lid 12 having a spring-hinge at 13,tending to throw the lid open.

it indicates a parachute of any suitable type, adapted for folding downin the container and for storage therein, the line by which saidparachute is connected with the diaphragm 6 through an eye 16 on the topthereof.

17 is a trip latch which extends upwardly through the bottom of thecontainer 3 and engages with its upper end a keeper lug 18 on thebottomof the diaphragm 6.

19 is a trigger rod or'lever connected with the trip latch 17. Thislever is guided at 20 in a suitable bracket in a bracket 22. The upperportion of the lever 19 has an extension 23 hinged to it at 24 by alimited joint which permits a backward movement of said extension priorto the backward stroke of the whole lever about the pivot 21. I

The upper extremity of the lever extension 23 carries a latch 25 whichengages the edge at 26 of the lid 12, thereby holding said lid closedagainst the normal tendency of its spring hinge 13 to throw it open.

27 is an operating wire or line connected at one end with the triggerlever extension 23 and thence suitably guided by pulleys 28 to the lever29 within reach and under the control of the pilot occupying the seat 30in the fuselage 1.

The operation of my safety device as thus described is as follows:

Normally the parachute is stowed in the container 3, as seen in Fig. 2and is held down by the lid 12 which is itself locked in closed positionby the lever extension trigger 23. The parachute lies above thediaphragm 6, which latter is held down by the trip latch 17 and holdsthe spring 9 under compression.

When, for any reason, the function of the parachute is required, thepilot through the lever 29 and line 27 pulls back the trigger extension23, which has theimmediate and preliminary effect of releasing the lid12, whioh'by means of its spring hinge 13 at once flies open, therebyinitially clearing the way for the projection of the parachute. Theextension 23 after moving back to the extent of its limited hinge-joint24, becomes and 15 is and is pivoted at 21 the diaphragm can be giventhe requisite tion. The diaphragm comes up against the abutment flange10 of the container, and thenthe expanded parachute suspends, throughits connecting line 15, arrested diaphragm 6 and bolted container 3, theaerial vehicle to an extent conducive to its safe descent.

It will thus be seen that the weight of the vehicle is carried by thearrested diaphragm bearing against the abutment flange of the container,and that this forms a most stable and secure connection in that theflange and .strengthto bear the stress.

Although I have illustrated only one parachute attachment, it will bereadily understood that I-may install a plurality of them.

I claim: l. A safety device for aerial vehicles com-, prising acontainer fitted and secured to the vehicle, said container having atits upper portion an inwardly projecting abutment flange; a diaphragmfitted for linear movement within the container and adapted to belimited on its outer stroke by contact with the abutment flange of thecontainer; a spring under the diaphragm to effect its outward stroke; aparachute member adapted for storage within the container and forprojection therefrom by the diaphragm; a line connecting the parachutemember with the diaphragm; and locking and releasing connections forcontrolling the diaphragm.

2. A safety device for aerial vehicles comprising a container fitted andsecured to the vehicle, said container having at its upper portion aninwardly projecting abutment flange; a diaphragm fitted for linear movement within the container and adapted to be limited on its outer strokeby contact with the abutment-flange of the container; a spring under thediaphragm to effect its outward stroke; a parachute member adapted forstorage Within the container and for projection therefrom by thediaphragm; a ine connecting the parachute member with the diaphragm; andlocking and releasing connections for controlling the diaphragmcomprising a trip latch engaging the diaphragm to hold 1t down; atrigger lever to operate the trip latch, andaline under the control ofthe pilot to operate the trigger lever.

3. A safety device for aerial vehicles, comflange; a lid fitted to thecontainer by a spring hinge-tending to throw it open; a diaphragm fittedfor linear movement within the container and adapted to be limited onits outer stroke by contact with the abutment flange of the container; aspring under the diaphragm to effect its outward stroke; a parachutemember adapted for storage within the container and for projectiontherefrom by the diaphragm; a line connecting the parachute member withthe diaphragm; and locking and releasing connections for successivelycontrolling the container lid and the diaphragm.

4. A safety device for aerial vehicles, com prising a container fittedand secured to the vehicle, said container having at its upper portionan inwardly projecting abutment flange; a lid fitted to the container bya spring hinge tending to throw it open; a diaphragm fitted for linearmovement within th container and adapted to be limited on its outerstroke by contact with the abutment flange of the container; a springunder the diaphragm to effect its outward stroke;

a parachute member adapted for storage within the container and forprojection therefrom by the diaphragm; a line connecting the parachutemember with the diaphragm; and locking and releasing connections forsuccessively controlling the container'lid and the diaphragm comprisinga trip latch engaging the diaphragm to hold it down; a pivoted trigger,lever to operate the trip latch, an extension of said lever providedwith means for locking and tripping the lid, said extension beingconnected with the lever by a limited joint, and a line, under thecontrol of the pilot, connected with the extension of the trigger lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in twosubscribing .witnesses.

ANDREIV DOUGLAS AUSTIN.

Witnesses:

WM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS.

the presence of

